About the Play:

Ridiculosis by Proxy is a one-act comedy by Ronald Harwood. Did you HEAR the NEWS?! There's a new sickness going around, it's called Ridiculosis! Ridiculosis by Proxy is an absurd comedy exploring the irrational reactions of our culture when it comes to avoiding "the disease of the day". Especially recommended for school and contest use.

Ridiculosis by Proxy is a manic romp through the hysteria surrounding a new disease. It takes on society's innate fear of the unknown through vignettes that illustrate the lengths to which people will go in order to avoid the latest threat to their health, whether it is real or imagined. Led by the politician, the characters attempt to find solutions to their problems through increasingly ridiculous measures. Each vignette ratchets up the comedic tempo with novel and absurd ways of avoiding "the disease of the day." Audiences will laugh recognizing a little of themselves in the citizens of our imagined state as they grow ever more desperate to avoid a disease with no name, no symptoms and no known treatment. The media reports every detail of the plague lurking around the corner even while they have to guess at the identity, the effects and the real importance of this new infection. Meanwhile, the politician continues with assurances that every precaution has been taken and a cure is on its way-as soon as they figure out what to call the new virus. The concept of a manufactured health crisis is the perfect vehicle to illustrate our cultural gullibility when it comes to medicine, disease and our predisposition for panic and irrational reaction when it comes to our well-being. The audience will ultimately decide whether the cure we find is for the disease or for the ridiculous responses by the citizens.

Ridiculosis by Proxy premiered in 2009 at Bob Jones High School in Madison, Alabama. Ideal for contest use or for any college or high school theatre group looking for something amusing and "different." Running time is about 45 minutes.

Cast: 12 to 19 female, 6 to 15 male, 4 to 12 any gender. Doubling encouraged.

What people say:

"This show allows students to significantly participate in creating characters and movements in a highly stylized performance; the commitment and creativity that provided made this an excellent choice for contest." — Mary Beth Barder, Maple Lake High School, Maple Lake, Minnesota

About the Playwright:

B. Dwayne Craft has taught and directed theatre at Bob Jones High School in Madison, Alabama, for more than 20 years. His plays have won multiple awards at both the state level and within the Southeastern Theatre Conference Secondary Play Festival. He holds a master's in theatre from Florida State University and a master's in educational leadership from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.